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Dr. Seuss

by Alex T. from Toronto

"Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one." - Dr. Seuss
A statue of Dr. Seuss (http://nathan-hale.ci.manchester.ct.us/frames/info.html)
A statue of Dr. Seuss (http://nathan-hale.ci.manchester.ct.us/frames/info.html)

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was a writer and cartoonist. He wrote to give people a more positive view about life. He was not a hero for saving a life, being outstandingly courageous, or working extremely hard. He is still, however, a hero. He is a hero for his ability to put a smile on anyone’s face, anytime, anywhere.

Theodor was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He attended Dartmouth College in 1921. There, he became the editor-in-chief of Jack-O-Lantern, the humor magazine. Soon after becoming the editor-in-chief, he was caught drinking alcohol, which violated the Prohibition laws of the time. Because of this, the Dean of the school requested that he resign from the Jack-O-Lantern magazine. In order to continue his work with the college humor magazine, in which he loved, he began to work under the pen name of “Seuss”, his middle name.

A picture of Dr. Seuss with many of his best work (http://mattoneal.com/when-did-dr-seuss-win-the-pulitzer-prize/)
A picture of Dr. Seuss with many of his best work (http://mattoneal.com/when-did-dr-seuss-win-the-pulitzer-prize/)

In 1928 he began to quickly gain reputation in America. He made an advertisement for the insecticide, Flit, using the phrase, “Quick, Harry, the Flit!” which became very popular.

During World War II, Seuss began writing political cartoons that encouraged America to join in the war, by denouncing Hitler and racism. One of his cartoons, however, suggested that all Japanese Americans were traitors, contrary to his other cartoons against racism. In 1954, he realized his wrongdoing in his prejudice against the Japanese, and made the book Horton Hears a Who!. This was dedicated to a Japanese friend of his, and was meant to serve as an allegory for the Hiroshima bombing.

Seuss’s most popular children’s books were made after World War II. They include The Butter Battle Book (about racial equality, in 1984), Green Eggs and Ham (using only 50 words, in 1960), and Yertle the Turtle (about the arms race, in 1958).

Seuss continued to write a total of 44 children’s books. He died on September 24, 1991, in San Diego, California.

In my opinion, Seuss’s work is important to us because it encourages literacy for children. It makes things fun and interesting for children in their books, while the books can still be intriguing to older audiences, with stories such as Horton Hears a Who!, about Hiroshima. He also teaches people to have a much more positive attitude towards life.

Seuss’s abilities have proven to be more than great. His challenging proposals for his projects have put critics in doubt, yet has always been able to prove them wrong by pulling through.

Page created on 12/2/2010 5:54:33 PM

Last edited 12/2/2010 5:54:33 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

Seussville - Dr. Seuss's official website.
Dr. Seuss Biography - A biography of Dr. Seuss.
Theodor Geisel Quotes - Some of Dr. Seuss's best quotes.